Special Teams Overview: Stability Built on Purpose

Michigan State has quietly made one of its most deliberate offseason investments in special teams, adding multiple scholarship kickers, punters, long snappers, and a proven All-Big Ten kickoff returner. This is not a surprise, considering the hire of Lavar Wood from Iowa. It's clear Coach Fitz wants Special Teams to be a strength of the team. And the execution of Portal and High School recruiting has led to immediate answers and long-term succession plans, a sharp contrast to recent years of patchwork depth.

It's worth starting with Woods, who is considered by many the best special teams coach in the country. And the results support this.

Team Rankings under Woods

• Top-10 nationally in net punting: 5 different seasons (2019–2024)

• #1 nationally in net punting: 3 times (2022, 2023, 2024)

• Top-15 nationally in kickoff return defense: 5+ seasons

• Top-20 nationally in blocked kicks: 4 seasons

• Top-3 in the Big Ten (punt + kickoff returns combined): 6 seasons

Individual Player Accolades

• Ray Guy Award (nation’s top punter): 1 (Tory Taylor, 2023)

• Consensus / Unanimous All-Americans: 4 specialists

• Freshman All-Americans (special teams): 3 players

• Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year / Jet Award winners: 3

• Big Ten Punter of the Year: 3 times

• 50+ yard field goal school records set: multiple seasons

Bottom Line

Woods didn’t build one elite unit, he built repeatable dominance. Nearly every season featured either a top-10 unit, an award-winning specialist, or both.

It's clear he maximizes talent, but he needs players to work with. So it's notable how many Special Teams players have been brought in. Let's go through it.

Kicker

Michigan State must replace Martin Connington, who handled starting duties last season before entering the transfer portal.

The Spartans responded by adding Liam Boyd from the portal. Boyd brings experience and pedigree, converting 10 of 13 career field goal attempts, with a long of 42 yards, and retains two years of eligibility. Coming out of high school, Boyd was rated a five-star kicker by Kohl’s Kicking and ranked No. 23 nationally in the 2022 class, giving Michigan State a steady, known commodity to compete immediately.

That competition will come from the future as well. Michigan State also secured a commitment from 2026 kicker Stephen Gonzales out of Monroe, North Carolina. Gonzales is rated a five-star prospect by Kohl’s Kicking and ranked as the No. 4 kicker in the 2026 class. Kohl’s has noted that Gonzales may have the strongest leg in the entire class, having connected from 63 and 65 yards in competition settings. While Gonzales is a longer-term piece, his ceiling is undeniable and raises the overall outlook of the position.

Punters

Replacing Ryan Eckley—a First-Team All-Big Ten and Second-Team All-American who entered the NFL Draft—was no small task. Michigan State answered with proven production.

The Spartans added Rhys Dakin from Iowa Hawkeyes, who has served as the Hawkeyes’ punter for the past two seasons. Dakin averaged 43.9 yards per punt, pinned 47 punts inside the 20, and earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors in 2025 after being named a FWAA Freshman All-American and Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2024. He provides a seamless, veteran transition as the 2026 starter.

Behind him, Michigan State added Alex Weeks, a freshman punter from Northern Arizona. Weeks reunites with assistant special teams coach Josh Robinson and provides quality depth and long-term insurance, with four years of eligibility remaining. While Dakin is the clear starter, Weeks gives the Spartans stability beyond a single season.

Long Snapper

Long snapper was an immediate need following the portal departure of Jack Wills, and Michigan State addressed it directly.

The Spartans landed Nick Duzansky, a former Oregon Ducks long snapper with two years of eligibility remaining. Duzansky served as a backup behind All-Big Ten snapper Luke Basso but earned praise for his accuracy and consistency. He now arrives in East Lansing with a clear path to the starting role.

For the future, Michigan State also added 2026 long snapper Trey Serauskis, rated as the No. 2 snapper nationally in his class by the 247Sports Composite, reinforcing continuity at one of the most overlooked—but critical—positions on the roster.

Kick Return

Michigan State added one of the Big Ten’s most efficient kickoff returners in Kenneth Williams, a Detroit native who arrives from the Nebraska Cornhuskers with both production and credibility in the return game.

During the 2025 season, Williams served as Nebraska’s primary kickoff returner, finishing with 12 returns for 395 yards and a touchdown, good for an elite 32.9 yards per return. That average is not the result of a small or manufactured sample; it ranked in the top five in the Big Ten among players with double-digit return attempts and inside the top 10 nationally when sorting by average return with a meaningful workload.

To put that into context:

• Williams averaged nearly a full first down more per return than the Big Ten baseline.

• Among Big Ten returners with 10+ kickoff returns, only a handful eclipsed the 30-yard-per-return mark.

• His 95-yard kickoff return touchdown against Northwestern marked Nebraska’s first kickoff return TD since 2017, underscoring both explosiveness and game-changing ability.

Even more notable is how Williams compares nationally. While several players posted higher averages, most did so on 3–5 returns. Williams’ 12-return sample places him in rare company. It pairs top-tier efficiency with sustained opportunity, a key indicator that his production is repeatable rather than situational.

Williams earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors (media) and Third Team recognition from Big Ten coaches as a return specialist.

He also chipped in offensively with limited touches, reinforcing his overall roster utility.

With multiple years of eligibility remaining, Williams gives Michigan State a plug-and-play return threat whose profile aligns perfectly with LeVar Woods’ emphasis on field position, hidden yardage, and explosive special teams plays. His addition signals that the return game won’t just be functional; it’s being positioned as a weekly advantage heading into the 2026 season.

Big Picture Takeaway

This is not a scattershot approach; it’s a coordinated rebuild of special teams. Michigan State has paired experienced players with top-rated underclassmen, ensuring answers both now and down the road.

Special teams rarely win headlines, but they raise a team's floor. Improved field position, consistent operation, and fewer hidden-yardage mistakes directly translate to wins at the margins. With this level of investment, Michigan State positions special teams as a strength rather than a variable, reinforcing overall roster stability heading into the 2026 season.